Recent Turmoil Fueling Public Anxiety over Safety

The April 15 bombing of the Boston marathon and other recent disasters may be causing some to experience anxiety issues over their own safety, according to one mental health expert.

Disaster mental health expert Dr. George Everly of Johns Hopkins University told Baltimore CBS affiliate WBAL-TV that many people, whether they know it or not, can be experiencing mild versions of post traumatic stress disorder in result of these series of unfortunate events.

“Safety is one of the most fundamental of all human needs,” Everly said.

On April 15, three people were killed and more than 180 injured when a pair of bombs went off at the finish line of the Boston Marathon, sending the city of Boston and the nation into panic. That same week, suspicious mail en route to President Barack Obama was intercepted and tested positive for the deadly poison ricin. Finally, on April 18, a massive explosion at a fertilizer plant in west Texas killed more than a dozen people and caused scores of injuries.

The possibility that any of these incidents are acts of terrorism is a threat to the safety of American people.

“My safety, my family’s safety, and everyone else’s safety for that matter is a concern,” said college student Kiara Owens. “I cannot help but wonder what all these little bombings could lead up to being as though another country has already threatened us.”